


Lance's Promise

by doubtfulbones



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Anal Sex, Birthday Sex, Bisexual Lance (Voltron), Biting, Blade of Marmora Keith, Bottom Keith (Voltron), Dirty Talk, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Gay Keith (Voltron), M/M, Minor Angst, Porn With Plot, Rough Sex
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-23
Updated: 2017-10-23
Packaged: 2019-01-21 16:47:35
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,108
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12461844
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/doubtfulbones/pseuds/doubtfulbones
Summary: Keith needs to take his mind off something else on his birthday, and luckily for him, it's been a while since he and Lance had used the majority of their stamina.---"I'm gonna bang you against the wall and see if we get any noise complaints," Lance murmured. "Are you gonna make a sound?"Keith nodded."Correct answer."





	Lance's Promise

**Author's Note:**

> it's keiths birthday!
> 
> minor angst! plenty of needy bottom keith! plenty of pet names!

Keith thought he was doing the right thing by almost plunging his spacecraft directly into a barrier, it was victory or death, and he didn't want to disappoint anyone else other than himself. At least if the sacrifice worked, that wouldn't happen at all, and he'd be able to keep his excuses shunned from beyond his cold, dark grave; stars die out brightly, exploding dramatically into a beautiful supernova or nebula shrouded by clouds of colour. If only Keith was a star, he'd have a much more magnificent death than an ugly, doubt-influenced one.

Sitting in the cockpit of his old lion was supposed to trigger some kind of nostalgia. Being the Guardian Spirit of Fire was much, much easier than being absorbed in the fast-paced, dangerous life of the Blade of Marmora. The role of the Black Paladin couldn't compare, life had just thrown him into areas where he had a lot of responsibility, and he was still only young. Not too young, but young enough. Yet, despite having his Lion occupied by Lance, he still felt a connection to the crimson glow smothering him. It felt warm and welcome, unlike his recent encounter with his former Paladins.

Keith couldn't even recreate the cry that tore Lance's throat when he walked in. It was blood-curdling, sending petrified, remorseful shivers ricocheting through Keith's spine, sparking some kind of sadness in his head. Even though the rest of them stood behind the Blue Paladin, cheeks wet with tears, not even their emotions _combined_ could compare with Lance's trembling, terrified state.

 _"Don't you fucking dare do that again!"_ he had yelled, clutching Keith's body so tightly he almost suffocated. _"What the fuck were you thinking?!"_

Even more so, Lance almost never swore, so when he was faced with Keith for the first time after his attempted suicide mission, the words that shot out of his mouth like daggers caught Keith right in the chest, twisting excruciatingly in his heart until he'd realised exactly what he did. Lance left him alone after that. It was better for both men. The mission happened almost a week ago, and Keith had only come back that morning; for Lance, it was one of the worst wake-up calls he'd ever had.

Footsteps began to echo through the hangar before the hatch slid open, and Keith felt a presence behind him. The person didn't talk, which is what Keith expected. After all, he was still dubious about how it could have been his birthday if time was so insignificant in space, and after hiding in his old Lion, concealed by the warm, red glow that surrounded him, he thought about throwing his own pity-party.

"Hey man," Lance leaned carefully against the control panel, his hands shoved inside his jacket pockets. "I'm sorry I screamed at you."

Just hearing his voice made Keith want to give up everything he ever had with the Marmora. It poured out of his mouth like melted chocolate and provided Keith with all the sweetness he ever needed. But as much as he loved Lance, and having him nearby, he couldn't help but think of all the possibilities if that mission had gone wrong. Or _right_. Keith was a lone wolf, as described by his fellow Paladins, so it shouldn't feel any different if he kept disappearing. He took advantage of his independence; being an orphan and an only child enabled him to experience independence in a way nobody else did, however, Keith could no longer decide if it was for the best or worst.

Especially if he had Lance. After watching the recruitment videos broadcasted for Voltron's benefit, he realised that Voltron performed better without him, even if Allura _did_ have to become Keith himself. It was a painful truth he had to experience, and as much as he wanted to join in, he knew it'd make it difficult for the other Paladins if he kept disappearing. Every time he left, he watched Lance's smile waver, watching him leave like a lost puppy. It made Keith's heart shatter. The Blade of Marmora almost made it impossible for him to be loved.

"And I'm not disappointed," Lance murmured.

Was it even _love_ anymore if Keith was straying away from his duties as a Paladin, teasing Lance with their juvenile rivalry? He missed every moment in the Castle. Every time he came back it was like Christmas for Lance, and they only had a small amount of time to do what they wanted together. Keith suddenly despised the set schedule. He was no more than a man in a uniform, a toy for the Marmora to play with, pulling on his strings like a brain-dead puppet.

"If you don't want to talk, I get it," Lance sighed. "But—"

"Lance, why do you love me?"

The sudden outburst had Lance's eyes widening with surprise. It was such a question to ask out of context, but Keith still couldn't figure out why. Perhaps it was due to his brain being so occupied with the Marmora, his family, and every little other thing that got caught in his endless, stressful mind.

Lance crouched and propped himself up on the arms of the chair, his eyes never daring to leave Keith's.

"That's a big question," he found Keith's idle hand and held it. "But you know I love you for a lot of reasons. You're brave, you're independent, and you're really the only one that knows a lot about me."

"Anything else?" Keith rested his head on the back of the seat, until he was pulled up and transferred into Lance's lap, being bounced like a toddler. Actually, he _did_ miss the affection, and Lance was the only person he'd let in to his secure little fortress, because he was so empathetic and gentle.

"Well," Lance cupped Keith's waist. "You're sympathetic. You're actually sort of nice when you try hard enough."

Keith snorted. "When I try hard enough?"

"You asked!" Lance pouted. "But you're also really attractive, and you're great in bed, so that makes up for everything."

"Thank you." Keith rolled his eyes, chuckling to himself quietly. "I'm sorry I made you panic. I don't know what else to do."

"Hey, hotcakes," Lance cupped his boyfriend's cheeks. "It's your birthday, we don't mention any of this, alright? Weren't you allowed a little more time off because of it?"

Keith nodded. "I leave tomorrow afternoon."

"Alright, so we have until tomorrow afternoon to worry."

A relaxed sigh escaped Keith's lips as he leaned down and rested his head against Lance's chest, relishing the rapid pounds of his happy heart. His slender, honey-skinned fingers tangled in his hair, his fingernails delicately scratching the sensitive areas of his scalp. He didn't want to worry tomorrow afternoon—Keith didn't want to worry _at all,_ he just wanted to remain in the comfort of Lance's lap. His nose found his warm neck, and he nestled himself there, taking in the scent of fabric softener, aftershave and musk, perhaps from training, Keith thought.

"Are you having fun recruiting for the coalition?" he asked. "Loverboy Lance, huh?"

"Mmh," Lance shrugged, grunting in discontent at the nickname. "It's a lot of work."

"How come I've never seen you bend like that?" Keith questioned, raising his head. "I thought I was a priority."

"Hey, you are a priority," Lance smirked. "But we needed to recruit, and it wasn't even my idea, it was Coran's."

Keith huffed. The jealousy stirring inside of him even managed to make his empty stomach growl.

"Besides," Lance muttered. "I give you shows like that all the time."

"Not all the time," Keith mumbled.

"Tell you what," his boyfriend uttered, a devilish smirk curling his lips. "After dinner, I'll..."

Upon listening to the whispers pouring into his ear, Keith's pale cheeks flushed a vivid fuchsia, the tips of his ears tingling at the information. His heart raced, and looking at Lance's filthy grin made it hammer even faster. With _that_ to excite him there was no chance that his anxiousness about tomorrow was going to ruin his birthday.

"You can have me all to yourself," Lance craned his neck to kiss Keith's nose. "I promise. Now, Hunk's made you a cake, we have the table decorated and everything. You better like it or the promise is gone."

"I think the promise will stay no matter what."

"Hey! I made the pro— _mmph."_

Keith loved shutting his rambling boyfriend up with kisses, because the result was the same every time: a pale pink hue sprinkled upon Lance's cheeks accompanied by a small, bashful smile. He was so easily condensed into a shy, blabbering mess, that Keith took every opportunity to do so.

After relishing Lance's 'I Missed You' kisses, Keith's lips felt bruised, and he left the Lion with quaking legs and a scene to remember for tomorrow. The duo walked, almost drunk in love, hand-in-hand towards Keith's room, where he found something comfortable to wear. Finally, they arrived in the vast dining hall, where Keith was showered in confetti and close hugs. Suddenly, feeling appreciated was one of the best things in the universe, and if Lotor hadn't have saved his neck, he would have never had the chance to experience a proper birthday.

After all, the Paladins were a second family, if not the first _proper_ family, and as much as he wasn't a fan of the fuss, he secretly adored all the attention he was getting. He felt wanted again.

"This is your _special_ assigned seat," Pidge gestured to Keith's usual place, but he didn't say a word and sat down anyway. Her small hand ruffled his already-tousled raven hair, enough for him to muster up a smile, and he even returned the hug she offered. "Happy birthday, don't pull that shit again."

"I won't," Keith took the small device from her hands. "What's this?"

"Do you remember MP3 players?" Hunk placed a three-tier, what seemed like _chocolate_ cake, right under Keith's nose. "And Pidge managed to find some headphones, so you can listen to music."

Keith lifted his gaze. "That's— _Wow_ , I mean—"

Keith was still trying to work out how Hunk had found chocolate, and enough of it, to make the cake with. Turning on the device was simple, the interface was incredibly user-friendly and he thanked Pidge for his small gift. There was only one playlist on there, but he was stopped before he explored further. The rest of the gifts were either hand-made or bought from the peculiar Earth store they visited not so long ago, so Keith was content with a sweater, some candy, and the spare pair of headphones Matt managed to find.

"It's not much, but we're in space," Matt snorted. "Happy birthday."

"Thank you, everyone, really," Keith tried to sound as sincere as possible. "But is this real chocolate?"

"It's as real as chocolate gets," Coran announced. "The pods were harvested and taken from a planet rich with plantations, so the chocolate within the cake will perhaps taste better than your usual chocolate."

It was hard to resist with such a temptation, and Keith hadn't tasted chocolate for so long, let alone the whipped cream adorning it. He was getting spoiled, and he hated it, but the amount of love and care that went into his birthday managed to find his soft spot for treats. And that was deeper than anything.

As the cake was cut and the siblings were trying to get as loud as they could with the party horns, Lance's foot was tapping nervously against the floor, his eyes trained on his slice of cake. His silence unnerved Keith. In fact, he still had to check whatever was on his new device, but after being stopped, he didn't know whether it was the right time to.

"Forget about tomorrow," Shiro shoved another party horn into Matt's mouth. "Please try and enjoy your birthday."

"I was until you mentioned tomorrow." Keith wiped the corner of his mouth. He was still irked by Shiro's threatening tone he used that morning.

A round of party horn songs later and Keith was lightheaded from all the laughter, while the Alteans watched with a confused glare. Actually, since this was his first genuine birthday, he truly enjoyed being the centre of attention and blowing a party horn so loud his lungs hurt. With Pidge's brother, and Shiro back, everything seemed homely. Comforting, almost. But as the day continued (as much as a day got in space), and the siblings had exhausted their party horns, everyone became tired and quiet. Even Allura slept early.

Lance still hadn't said anything ever since Keith took out the music player. It was still in the back pocket of his jeans along with the headphones, so while everyone was idly chattering amongst themselves in the dining hall, he looked up to find Lance, but his heart sank after finding him gone. Keith excused himself from his own party and sauntered off to find his sulking partner.

One knock on his bedroom door. No answer.

"Lance?" Keith called. "You okay in there?"

Nothing.

Lance usually enjoyed his own company if he was feeling low, so Keith wandered into his room to find a new addition on his bed. A small, white basket full of blue skincare products enticed Keith to take advantage of the shower, especially if it had Lance's name on the gift tag. With a grateful smile, he made a mental note to thank his partner, before stepping into the shower. The Blade of Marmora vicinity wasn't exactly that hospitable, and if Lance had _plans,_ Keith didn't want to be smelling of body odour, blood, and the metallic scent from his armour rubbing off on his skin.

Lance had given him _everything,_ from new towels to face masks to bath bombs, all in several shades of blue. Keith was soon sighing in relief at the hot water jet coating his body. If he missed anything at all from the castle it was the silky feeling of the water cascading along his bare, bruised skin. Soon enough, he was smelling of mint and tea-tree, and he walked back to his room, ruffling his hair dry with his new towel.

However, he let out a small groan as he picked up a note placed strategically on his door, reading, _"meet me at that stupid Altean pool!"_

"Lance," Keith huffed. He just wanted that _promise._

One elevator ride later and a change into his swim trunks, he was thankful he obeyed Lance's note. At least he wasn't sulking in his room, or suddenly regretting his choices for Keith's birthday. No, he had covered the crystal surface of the pool in crimson flower petals, and laid out enough candles to make the room glow. A faint scent of rose flooded Keith's nostrils, and he breathed a relax sigh, his eyes finding Lance holding a glass of what seemed like champagne, the other arm propped up on the side of the pool.

"Finally," Lance smirked, handing Keith a glass as he sank into the pool. "You smell like the soap I gave you."

"At least I don't smell like anything else," Keith drawled. Lance still had his slice of cake with him. "Is there rose oil in the water?"

"You bet," Lance winked. The fixation Keith had on Lance licking away the chocolate from his slim fingers was unbelievable. "But to be honest, it's all for you, babe."

Keith closed his eyes, relishing the comforting warmth of the pool. He'd have to visit more often, he'd almost forgotten about the pool. Especially now that it was adorned with petals, candles, and rose oil as an aphrodisiac, Keith was dubious about leaving. The Blade of Marmora would have to wait.

"If you haven't enjoyed your day so far," Lance murmured, walking his fingers up his lover's chest. "You will now."

"I've enjoyed it," Keith grinned lazily, taking a small sip of the liquid in his glass. "What is this, by the way?"

"A special brand of Altean champagne," Lance pressed a kiss to Keith's sternum. "Allura said no more than one glass, or we'll be shitfaced."

Keith snorted. "She didn't say shitfaced."

"No, but," Lance covered his mouth to belch. "I want you to remember everything I'm going to do to you tonight, so I'd rather you and I were sober."

"That's a good idea," Keith drawled, his eyes lidded, laid upon Lance's moistened lips. "You have chocolate on your mouth."

"Lick it off then."

"Ew," Keith snorted. Lance's jaw dropped.

"Look me in the eye and tell me that you've had anything worse than my dick in your mouth!" he laughed. "Or better. You could call it better."

At this point, Keith was too warm and turned on to care. The steam dancing around Lance's lean body made him look almost ethereal when accompanied with the flickering candles. Nothing else mattered except for the blissful silence between them, and Lance's company. All thoughts about the next day diminished, as Lance leaned in and gently caught Keith's relaxed lips in a kiss.

His mind was on fire. Lance would never hesitate to make every single nerve in his mind alight with excitement, which sent glorious shivers down his spine, ricocheting through the rest of his body. Keith realised he enjoyed these private times the most, because Lance really was a different person when they were alone.

His hands smoothed over Keith's chest, his skin riddled with petals as it emerged from the water's surface. Keith's cupped Lance's flushing cheeks and he tried to imprint the feeling of his skin on his fingers, just so he couldn't forget the sharp contours of his face when he left in the afternoon. He remembered how soft Lance's lips were, and how tenderly they kissed him, until Keith licked away the chocolate from the corner of his partner's mouth.

"I'd love to feel that right now, but," Lance drawled, pressing a kiss to Keith's jugular. "This _promise_ continues upstairs, baby boy."

"You're heavy with the pet names today," Keith purred. "Is this just a special occasion?"

"I can't use pet names on anyone else," Lance chuckled, taking Keith's hand to pull him out of the water. He clapped twice, and every single candle was extinguished at once. Keith cocked a brow. He didn't even want to question how that worked.

As much as Keith enjoyed the privacy of the elevator, and the feeling of Lance sucking deep bruises onto his pale neck, it was moving far too quickly to act upon his arousal. He hummed incoherent Spanish into his ear, but Keith had been around Lance long enough to know what he was saying. And if anything, it made his mind cloudy with lust, because nobody else would understand, except for him. Before the elevator doors slid open, Lance sank his teeth into Keith's neck, coaxing a small mewl of delight out of him.

"Lance, if you don't stop, I'm going to pin you to the floor and fuck you in front of everyone."

Lance scoffed, leading Keith to his room by the wrist. "I dare you."

It was as if his natural possessive instinct had activated—he pounced on Lance as soon as they made it inside, and ignored his shrill squeal as he riddled his neck with eager nips and kisses. He didn't _care_ if it was his birthday. Lance had been so good to him and he wanted to reward him.

"Hey— _hey!_ No biting!" Lance giggled and squirmed under Keith's body. _"Keith!_ The door!"

"Fine," Keith locked the automatic bedroom door. "Happy?"

Lance nodded, patting the space beside him on the bed. This changed quickly, and with his muscles still slack from the warm water, Keith idly propped himself up on the wall behind him while Lance led between his legs, the prominent bulge in his swim trunks pressing up against Keith's. A low growl rumbled from the bottom of his throat.

"You've deserved all of this," Lance whispered, punctuating each word with a kiss to Keith's neck. "But then again, you can quit whenever you want to, and we'll cuddle instead."

"I'm not going to," Keith growled again as Lance's hips snapped forwards.

"That's what I like to hear."

One hard press to his groin and Keith was trembling. His amethyst eyes glared intently into Lance's lidded, ocean ones, uncovering every single lustful intention behind them. They were always so trusting, one way or another, and the more Keith stared, the more he became slave to Lance's actions. His lips were a couple of teasing inches away.

"Look at you, you're so relaxed," Lance whispered, peeling away the offending garment and taking Keith's aching cock in his slender hands. It'd been a while since his last visit, and since it was his birthday, he was going to let Lance do whatever he wanted.

"How should I fuck you, huh?" Lance uttered, his voice low and husky against Keith's ear. His right hand kept a low pace, while the other pressed a finger into his puckered hole. "I don't care how loud you are, I want you begging for me by the time we're done."

"O-Okay," Keith breathed. Lance's knuckles curled inside of him as he pressed the tip of his finger against his prostate. "Sh-Shit—"

"That's it," Lance purred, peppering his shoulder with more love bites. "Moan for me, just like that."

"Mark me more," Keith whimpered. "I don't care if it hurts, I want it to be there for as long as possible. I want to come back and still have you— "

"Don't sweat it, babe," Lance laughed lowly. "I'll make sure."

Keith bit his lip and let Lance do whatever he wanted. This was all for him, and how he'd deserved every little thing on his birthday. While Lance increased his stroking pace, he leaned forward and invitingly licked Keith's bottom lip, before they were drawn into a hot, breathy kiss. Lance tasted luxuriously of chocolate and the moans that poured through his mouth when Keith reached into his swim trunks were almost as rich as the cake. Keith felt dizzy. Nothing was ever enough right now, not even the quivering pace on his cock.

Another press against his prostate and Keith bucked his hips, earning a sly grin from his partner.

"I'm gonna bang you against the wall and see if we get any noise complaints," Lance murmured, scooping Keith up in his arms with one swift movement, pinning him against the wall. "Are you gonna make a sound?"

Keith nodded. Let them hear. He wasn't going to visit for a long time.

"Correct answer."

Without any hesitation, Lance dug his fingernails into Keith's thick rump and slammed into him, earning a loud, needy whine from Keith. His pale fingers curled in Lance's chocolate locks while the other hand dug scratch marks into his bare back. The Paladin moaned through gritted teeth, aiming for another bite on Keith's shoulder. The noise they made as Keith was continuously pounded against the wall was almost enough to drown out the music coming from outside.

"I'll let you ruin my complexion this once, Kogane," Lance growled, nipping at Keith's exposed throat. "For every mark you make I'm giving you four more."

This dominance wasn't going to last for next time. Usually, Keith would have Lance whimpering beneath him, but at this rate, Keith didn't care how his partner pleased him. He just didn't want to waste time.

"I hope you're quivering in the morning," Lance grinned, moving Keith to the edge of the bed and placing a hand on his stomach. His pace quickened, and soon Keith was bowing his back and curling his quaking fingers in the sheets. "Like that, huh? Want me to go faster?"

It was overwhelming. Keith was breathless with the amount of pleasure flooding through his body that it made tears pinprick the corner of his eyes. Screams of sheer ecstasy ripped his throat dry. As much as he wanted to reply, every noise that tumbled out of his mouth was of bliss.

Lance's hands gripped Keith's waist to lift his hips off the bed, fucking him deeper than before. He was getting loud. So loud, in fact, Lance had to hush him at least once or twice, even if Keith didn't care. He wrapped his legs around Lance's waist and took it all, his back bending so far it formed a perfect arc.

"Awh, are you crying?" Lance cooed, stilling inside of him. Keith pouted. He bit his lip and whimpered, silently begging Lance to continue. "What's that? You want me to stop?"

"No!" Keith cried. "Fuck, _please_ keep going, Lance, _please—!"_

"More." Lance snapped his hips one more, earning another raw groan from Keith. He leaned down and wiped a stray tear from his flushing cheek. "Tell me what you want."

His hips were still held up by all of Lance's strength. If he didn't swallow his pride and beg, he wasn't going to get what he wanted, and then he'd _truly_ be crying.

"Fuck me!" Keith panted, his eyebrows furrowed, his eyes squeezed shut. He could feel Lance throbbing against his tight walls. _"Please,_ Lance, make me yours— _nngh!"_

"That's right, kitten," Lance muttered, holding Keith's squirming hips in a rigid place. He began pounding directly against his prostate and Keith could barely keep up. "Who do you belong to?"

"You," Keith swallowed, propping himself up on his elbows, his knuckles turning white from curling them in the sheets. Lance stilled again. _"You!_ You, Lance, I'm all yours, I p-promise, _please,_ I'm so close—!!"

Lance decided to save his stamina and laid himself on top of Keith, reassuringly kissing his cheek. The pace he kept up managed to make Keith weep, and all he needed to top it off was the feeling of relief. With Lance's broad, trembling arms wrapped around his torso, Keith's fingers found his hair, and he invited his partner's tongue to lock with his all over again. As much as he wanted to keep it together, every thrust had Keith whimpering, and Lance couldn't kiss an open mouth. He just enjoyed watching his face contort in pleasure.

"I'm going to miss that face," Lance purred. "Especially if you pull that shit again with the barrier."

"I won't," Keith panted, but his lack of noise was returned by harsh, quick pounds that had him screaming loud enough to make his voice crack. "Okay! Okay— _fuck,_ please let me come."

"Mhm, considering I'm letting you finish first," Lance grinned, a low moan rumbling near Keith's ear. "Happy birthday, you little slut."

Lance's remark made Keith shiver. He was certainly going to remember this for plenty of missions to come, as well as the feeling inside of him. He loved every single mark Lance had inflicted upon him, because each one was a reminder about _this,_ and _this_ felt so gorgeously different to every other time, purely because Lance had been so loving and passionate on his birthday.

His honey, slender fingers slid into Keith's open mouth. "Suck," he murmured.

He tried his best. He poured every ounce of love and lust into coating his fingers in saliva, not even bothering to wipe away the thick strings that hung loosely from his bottom lip, but nothing was going to stop the ever-increasing pressure building in his abdomen. Lance released his fingers with a slick _pop_ and pressed a kiss to Keith's lips.

"I'm close," Keith whimpered, squeezing Lance's waist closer. "I-I'm gonna come, _Lance_ _— !"_

As soon as Lance snapped and stilled his hips, slamming for a final time into his prostate, Keith clenched his fists in Lance's damp hair as he whined in pure bliss, feeling his slender hands pump him through his orgasm. After letting go of Lance's hair, he watched tiredly as he used his mouth to work Keith over, sucking as gently as possible, being careful about his sensitivity. He felt Lance slide out of his cum-soaked walls, his chest heaving, his forehead slick with sweat.

"How's that for a promise?" Lance winked. Keith curled up to drape himself over his lover, basking in their afterglow.

"Better than expected," Keith yawned, smiling tiredly. "Thank you—ew, we're sticky."

"You're sticky," Lance chuckled. "Mister 'I Don't Want Fuss On My Birthday.'"

"Shut up," Keith nestled his face into Lance's heaving chest. "Maybe I like fuss."

"Knew it," Lance smirked. "Did you guess what was on that playlist?"

Keith had forgotten entirely. He picked it up from his nightstand and checked. "No," he said.

"I made you a playlist to listen to when you're away," Lance idly brushed his fingers through Keith's hair. "And I made one, vice-versa."

Uncertainty settled into Keith all over again. He didn't want to think about leaving, especially since he'd had one of the best days of his life. With a warm smile, he plugged a headphone into his ear and gave the other one to Lance.

"They're just songs I used to listen to when it rained," he closed his eyes and intertwined his fingers with Keith's. "It's nice to share them with someone."

Keith nodded, already half-asleep. He let the slow, gentle music in his ear act like a lullaby, trying to picture this moment in his head, taking a snapshot to help him remind him of home. Lance was all the home he needed.

The next morning, Lance had his arms around Keith's half-dressed body, delicately kissing every single mark upon his pale skin. Thankfully, he didn't have to leave for a while yet, so he gave in to every affectionate advancement that Lance made. Keith held both of his hands and gave his lips a small kiss.

"Kick ass out there," Lance smiled. "I believe in you. No suicide missions."

"I'll try my best," Keith nodded. He watched Lance's smile falter, so he pulled him in for a close hug. "Hey, I'm sorry, most of the time, I don't make the decisions."

"Just stay safe, not just for the sake of me," Lance murmured. "I love you mullet. Don't leave me waiting for longer."

"I love you too," Keith grinned. "And after last night, I don't think I want to leave."

"If only," Lance sighed. "We'll be rooting for you."

Keith smiled. If anything, he had his friends right behind him, and they cared a lot, even after his birthday. In fact, he felt encouraged to do well, _better_ _,_ even, and he'd be fighting alongside his fellow Paladins in no time.

"Do you think the Blade would let you take a slice of cake?" Lance asked.

"I don't see why not," Keith grinned.

**Author's Note:**

> thank you for reading ♡
> 
> tumblr//pixelpearl


End file.
